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Its name is unknown to the general public, but not its brands. With Morgan, La Halle, Caroll, Bonobo, Bréal, Cache-Cache,, Sarenza, or Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, Dc Shoes and ElementThe Beaumanoir group is present in the wardrobe of many French. An empire of textiles which has extended again on Thursday, June 12, with the acquisition of the ready-to-wear brand for teenage girls Jennyfer, validated by the Commercial Court of Bobigny.
The proposal of the Bretonne company, whose headquarters is in Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine), to take up 350 of the 999 employees and 26 of the nearly 220 shops was preferred to that of its main competitor Pimkie. The Celio brand also takes part of the employees and seven stores.
“It was themost serious offer “analyze Elodie Ferrier, federal secretary CGT shops and service. This unionist, on the front line for the defense of employees in the sector, positively sees the interest shown by the Beaumanoir group under the brand. “If we look at what has happened in recent years for this group, we tell ourselves that he has sufficiently solid kidneys “, she anticipates.
With its 2,700 stores and its consolidated business volume of 3 billion euros declared in 2024, the group, managed by family, has solid arguments. But in a context of ready-to-wear crisis, and Faced with competition from online sales, the second hand and hyper fast-fashion, This success has something to intrigue.
In the case of Beaumanoir, the misfortune of some makes the happiness of others, analyzes Philippe Moati, professor emeritus of economy at Paris-Cité University and co-founder of the Society and Consumption Observatory. Group growth is largely based on the financial difficulties of its competitors.
The group, which was born in the 1980s with the Cache-Cache brand, has indeed positioned itself in recent years to buy companies in loss, with the ambition to put them back on track. The interest for Beaumanoir of such transactions? Take advantage of the “”established notoriety, distinctive DNA and historically faithful customers “ Of these brands, the group explains to Franceinfo.
So, when Vivarte, Leader group of the sector in the 2000s (Caroll, Chevignon, Kookai, La Halle, Minelli,
A recovery plan follows and, fifteen months later, a “Back to balance” brand accounts, proudly announced in the press By its founding president, Roland Beaumanoir.
“Beaumanoir is one of the rare in the equipment to the person to be overlooked; most of their competitors are in perdition.”
Jean-Louis Alfred, former CFDT coordinator of the Vivarte groupin franceinfo
Bis barely repeated a few months later: in October 2021, Beaumanoir seized the‘Female clothing brand Caroll, also left orphan by the sinking of Vivarte, and straightens it. In 2022, it is the turn of the Sarenza online sales site to go under his fold. More recently, he bought the specialist in Boardriders Europe skiing brands and obtains the operating rights of Quiksilver, Roxy, DC Shoes or Billabong in Western Europe. “”We have developed a recovery methodology that has proven itself, combining operational rationalization, strategic repositioning and revitalization of the offer “, Affirm the group in Franceinfo.
This success is not done without social breakage: almost each acquisition, part of the employees remain on the tile. “”When we take up a brand in difficulty, we often inherit structures whose dimensioning is no longer adapted to current economic reality “, defends the group. “Our first objective is to save as many viable jobs as possible in the long term, rather than artificially keeping positions that are not economically sustainable”he assures.
“Buying actors in difficulty allows Beaumanoir to grow at low cost.”
Philippe Moati, professor emeritus of economics at Paris-Cité Universityin franceinfo
To continue to grow while remaining profitable, the group also decided to diversify. Hide and seek and Jennyfer target the Young women, Bonobo concentrates its offer around jeans, La Halle is intended for families, Bréal to a senior clientele, Morgan and Caroll at the highest -end trade. With the recent Boardriders acquisition, thehe groups finally targets young and international clientele and is getting closer to the outdoor sports market.
A strategy that makes the group “The most interesting actor on the French market with Kiabi”, underlines Philippe Moati. In a context of crisis,“The future of textiles will be in this ability to segment the markets so as not to offer the same thing to everyone”, he decrypts. “Beaumanoir, with his latest acquisitions, had additional and relevant positioning“, Add this specialist.
“Each brand targets specific customers with clear positioning and DNA.”
The Beaumanoir groupin franceinfo
In addition to its marks, Beaumanoir also holds C-LOG, a logistics subsidiary that manages the flow of clothing arrivals. A major competitive advantage in terms of stock management and raying speed. The industrialist can also boast of having anticipated the transition to e-commerce and has resisted the health crisis better than part of its competitors.
More than forty years after the creation of Beaumanoir, the textile empire is doing well, and its founder also. The 76 -year -old Malouin is in the 247th place of the greatest fortunes in France in the ranking of Challenge from 2024.
The group has still suffered some industrial failures in recent years. Internationalization, started by a major establishment in China, was finally abandoned to focus on the European market. Likewise, Beaumanoir positioned itself twice, in 2007, then in 2020, to buy the NAF NAF brand, without success. “Jhe hung myself like a patient. I was overtaken in the night. (…) I was madly furious “, told the businessman in the columns of Ouest-France.
Never two without three? Acquired by a Turkish buyer, Naf Naf has experienced a new receivership since the end of May. It remains to be seen whether Beaumanoir intends to position itself again on this file, which has become a real sea serpent. Questioned by Franceinfo, the group did not rule.
